The National Air and Space Museum commemorates the history of flight and educates and inspires people through its collections, exhibitions, research, and programs related to aviation, space flight, and planetary studies.

HIGHLIGHTED TOPIC:

Trousers, Shuttle, STS-93, Eileen Collins

Shuttle astronauts wear pressure suits for launch and landing, but their in-flight wardrobe consists of comfortable trousers, shorts, and shirts. Velcro strips on the trouser legs are a convenience for keeping small items easily accessible. Eileen Collins wore trousers like these aboard the shuttle Columbia during the STS-93 mission in 1999. Collins was the first woman pilot of a shuttle mission in 1995, and on STS-93 she became the first woman to command a shuttle mission. The main task of the STS-93 mission was to deliver the Chandra X-ray observatory into orbit. NASA sent these trousers to the Museum shortly after Collins' 1999 flight.

Shuttle astronauts wear pressure suits for launch and landing, but their in-flight wardrobe consists of comfortable trousers, shorts, and shirts. Velcro strips on the trouser legs are a convenience for keeping small items easily accessible. Eileen Collins wore trousers like these aboard the shuttle Columbia during the STS-93 mission in 1999. Collins was the first woman pilot of a shuttle mission in 1995, and on STS-93 she became the first woman to command a shuttle mission. The main task of the STS-93 mission was to deliver the Chandra X-ray observatory into orbit. NASA sent these trousers to the Museum shortly after Collins' 1999 flight.